Saturday, April 28, 2012

Adam Klein - Loge Superhero

(This blog was written a few hours after my husband's Wagner MET debut on Thursday April 26th as Loge in Robert LePage's new production of Das Rheingold.)

Captain's Log, Stardate: Not Applicable. It is 2 AM and we have just returned from an adventure at a little place in New York City known for world class opera productions. My husband, tenor Adam Klein, made his Wagner debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Loge in Robert LePage's production of Das Rheingold. I, the wife, could not obtain tickets that evening as the house was sold out. I, however, had a much better experience viewing my husband from the bowels of the Met and was able to observe The Machine working at peak precision. As one who produces and directs as well as performs, observing the backstage technical workings of this show was a total, rapturous geek-feast for me. Folks out front were there to watch Das Rheingold…I had the privilege of becoming Das Rheingold. And for folks who watch Firefly…I wasn't on the ship…I was in the ship…I was the ship.

This new Met production was mounted in 2010 and returned this season along with the now complete Ring cycle. It definitely had Cirque du Soleil elements throughout the fabric of its being - not surprising since its master was co-founder for that venue. Fantastical tableaus, warping of perspective and illusion thrive in this production and in spite of the potential dangers of high tech, cater very nicely to a story about Gods, a Demi-God and other mythological creatures.
My husband performed the role of the Demi-God, Loge, or Loki if you are familiar with the Norse name. He is made of pure fire. The lighting effects very much enhanced that aspect of Adam's character, but it truly was the artist that breathed life into him. Adam sang like a German Heldentenor God, his theatrical acting was superior and his physical acting rocked that Loge suit like Iron Man with his Tony Stark action hero stance and athleticism. Eat your heart out Robert Downey, Jr.! (Spoliers: Loge does a lot of stuff on wires.) No, I am not biased…truly. Adam and I are very honest with one another and our performances. He really was that good and had the respect and support of his esteemed castmates, which included Stephanie Blythe, Bryn Terfel, Eric Owens and Gerhard Siegel. He also had the support of all his cover colleagues, artistic staff, administrative staff and Peter Gelb, General Director of the Met. The whole opera house was rooting for him! When it came time for curtain calls and bows, he got as large an applause as Bryn Terfel who played Wotan the leader of all the Gods. Adam had delivered the goods.

How did we celebrate, some of you may be asking? Rather quietly which was nice. After we parted company with Adam's parents, his fellow voice teacher Mike Warren and other friends, I suggested we go to a little 24 hour French bistro called French Roast - their uptown establishment on Broadway, as they also have a downtown annex - and enjoyed midnight happy hour. Yes, one of the many things I love about this city is that concept. The food was divine, the atmosphere cozy and it was just the gentle ending that we needed. Who knows what this will do for Adam's career in the long run, but life is full of wonderful moments and by living in the moment we take comfort and energize from such experiences.

Update: 3:30 PM Friday April 27th: I just found out that Adam will be going on again as Loge in the final Rheingold performance of the season on May 5th. Sometimes punching the glass ceiling yields a glorious breakthrough. My husband once again gets to be a superhero. He will always be one to me.

Sounds like a fantastic & memorable evening for you both. Congrats to Adam. Wishing him continued success as he continues on May 5th & into the future. Thanks for sharing this experience with me. Felt like I was there with you!

Tremendous performance on the radio. Did we hear on the XM at the end of the performance that the one on May will be live in the movie theaters? I'd love to see the flying, be in the space, & definitely in the ship. I'm still not enamored of foreign language opera. no point for me. While I could recognize Adam's voice (mostly), no comprehension takes all the fun out of it.